Friday, February 19, 2016

The Secret to Hummingbird Cake by Celeste Fletcher McHale

This
novel is a good exploration of the importance of lifelong friendship.
I really liked it. But I have to say that there is good news and bad
news about the book.

The
good news is that this book is wonderfully written and is
captivating. I don't think I have read of a friendship between women
written in such a wonderful way. Carrigan, Ella Rae, and Laine are
crazy wonderful women. Their personalities are revealed very well and
their actions are always entertaining. I loved that part of the
novel.

But
there is also bad news. This novel takes place in a small town in
Louisiana and people in the south express their Christianity
differently than in the Pacific Northwest where I live. There is
frequent mild swearing in this novel. There is infidelity in a
marriage and the general attitude is, “These things happen. Honey,
you gotta get a hold of yourself.” There is no concern about the
sin of the action nor asking for God's forgiveness. Also, when things
get really tough, when the women need strength to persevere, there is
no relying on God for strength. There is no faith that carries them
through. Their “Christianity” is something for Sunday and wearing
hats to church but has little or no meaning the rest of the week.

So,
the good news is that this is a well written and captivating novel
about a life long friendship between three southern women. The bad
news is that while at least some of the women think of themselves as
Christians (“I'll see you in heaven.”), there is really nothing
fundamentally “Christian” about the book. The words and actions
of the women, especially Carrigan, our narrator, do not reflect a
saving faith.

Books I've read

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About Me

I am a retired Christian bookstore owner of 33 years. I still love books and read as many as I can, blogging my reviews. I have also taken up photography and sell photos of Whidbey Island and nearby landscapes.